Companies Are 'Ghosting' Job Applicants In The Middle Of The Hiring Process

Ghosting isn't just for dating apps anymore. It's also happening in the world of hiring...

"Ghost jobs" are defined as job listings for roles with no hiring activity. And a new Bloomberg report says that those types of listings have hit a two year high, citing data from Greenhouse.

In the world of consulting, these 'ghost' listings rose to 31% in Q2, up from 26% two years ago, the report says. These jobs are seen as "a bellwether for the white-collar economy", the report says.

Consultants have also reported being "ghosted," where recruiters abruptly stop communication during the hiring process without explanation, according to Bloomberg. The shift has left many jobseekers frustrated.

One job seeker told Bloomberg: “It can be so awful. I don’t care for automated rejection letters, but would prefer that, just to have closure.”

Declining demand for traditional consulting services has led to job cuts and slower hiring at firms like Accenture, Ernst & Young, and McKinsey.

Growth in the U.S. consulting market slowed to 5.2% last year, down from 14%, with many firms scaling back or canceling projects. This year's growth is projected at around 6%, according to Source Global Research.

Jon Stross, co-founder and president of Greenhouse said: “When the economy is hot, you have to treat job candidates better and make decisions faster."

He continued: “When it flips and there are way too many candidates, it slows down decision making. Recruiters can wait for that perfect person, so they treat people worse and get away with it.”

The report notes that some consultants are applying to hundreds of jobs without success, as many roles are put on hold or canceled.

According to industry expert Hung Lee, this is partly due to recruiters being overwhelmed and outdated job postings remaining online.

Meanwhile, wage growth in consulting is slowing, with salary increases projected to rise only 3.85% next year, down from nearly 5% in 2023.